Gov. Brian Kemp said Wednesday he will not call Georgia lawmakers into a special session to redraw political districts or reduce executive branch powers before Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms takes office. He left open a different possibility: bringing legislators back to address budget issues before January.
The November 4 statement draws a distinction that matters as Georgia moves from an election to a transfer of power. Kemp has ruled out calling a session for those two political purposes. He has not ruled out every special session. The statement identifies no specific fiscal problem or budget proposal.
“The voters of our state have spoken,” Kemp said in the statement reproduced in full by 11Alive. “As long as I’m governor, we will always respect the results of secure, accessible, and fair elections, and also abide by the laws and constitution of our state.”
His announcement follows Bottoms’ victory and the Democratic sweep of Georgia’s statewide constitutional offices, covered in GCG’s election roundup. It adds a new question to the results: what business, if any, will the outgoing state leadership undertake before the new administration begins?
What Kemp ruled out
“I will not be calling a special session of the Georgia General Assembly in order to curtail executive branch powers or debate redistricting changes,” Kemp said.
That is a statement about how he intends to use the governor’s power to call lawmakers back. It does not enact a new restriction on future legislation or settle what the General Assembly may consider in its regular session.
FOX 5 Atlanta’s report, which identifies a statement from the governor’s office as its source, says Kemp did not indicate whether lawmakers had formally requested such a session or presented specific proposals to change executive powers or district maps. The announcement should not be read as proof that a particular bill had already been prepared.
The budget opening
Kemp’s fiscal language was less definite.
“There are, however, budgetary issues that may need to be addressed before the convening of the regular session in January,” he said. His office would continue evaluating the situation and keeping legislative leaders informed of the state’s fiscal outlook.
The statement does not name the issue, attach a dollar amount or identify a program that would gain or lose funding. It also gives no date for a decision. Those omissions limit what can be concluded about the consequences for Augusta and the rest of the CSRA.
For local readers, the next useful information would be a concrete proposal: what account or obligation needs attention, why it cannot wait until January, and which services or taxpayers would be affected. Wednesday’s statement does not establish a cut to schools, health care or local infrastructure, and it should not be treated as one.
How a special session works
Georgia’s constitution gives the governor authority to convene a special session by proclamation. For a session called that way, laws must relate to the purposes stated in the proclamation or an amendment to it. The governor may amend the call before lawmakers convene; after they convene, an amendment requires the approval of three-fifths of each house. Ga. Const. art. V, § II, para. VII(a)
The constitution also provides a separate route. If three-fifths of the members to which each house is entitled certify in writing to the governor, with a copy to the secretary of state, that, in their opinion, an emergency exists in the affairs of the state, the governor must convene a special session for all purposes. If the governor fails to do so within three days after receiving the certification, excluding Sundays, the General Assembly may convene itself. Ga. Const. art. V, § II, para. VII(b)
Those rules explain why Kemp’s announced position should not be described as an absolute legal barrier to a special session. They do not establish that lawmakers have invoked the emergency procedure.
For now, Kemp has set out the purposes for which he will not call a session and left a fiscal decision open. Any subsequent proclamation, budget proposal or legislative action will supply the details that Wednesday’s statement does not.